The majority of us sit more than we’d like, but that doesn’t mean it has to hurt us in the process. The exercise for this month is from the book 8 Steps to a Pain-Free Back by Esther Gokhale. She researched cultures of the East and old art to see what our ancestors understood that we’ve unfortunately lost over the years as technology continues to improve.
Cultures that balance heavy objects on their heads have strong spines that resist easily against gravity. I’m not suggesting you start balancing books on your head while you’re home, but I do think understanding postures that support your body will add to more ease in your longevity. Engaging postural muscles will definitely make you work. I’ve had many clients tell me they were starting to break a sweat when we worked on standing for the first time. Postural muscles are not the ones you see when you move, they’re deep in the body and closer to your spine.
As with any change you’re trying to make, it’s best to give yourself 2 weeks to be consistent and prioritize it. See if you can add it onto a current daily habit, make it fun, remind yourself why you’re choosing yourself in this way. We need to be in a position for 90 seconds for our body to register it as a pattern. If you’re able to incorporate it in the earlier part of the day, it’s easier to come back to, but whenever you can be consistent is best.
If you’re following along on instagram, you’ll see the rest of the series on posture in quick videos that are, 90 seconds or less. Sending you ease as you build as you build a stable structure within yourself.